Crusader Kings is basically Game of Thrones: The Game. It isn't about controlling a country or army, but rather about controlling and expanding your houses influence and size.

I told Jag yesterday, but I had a mentally retarded daughter who also happened to be a dwarf. Yes, mentally retarded is actually a trait in the game. Anyway, like a good father, I was trying to marry her off to a prince so that one day she might become queen and have me some kingly grandchildren. Well, king wasn't hearing that. So, I send my spymaster to his country. 3 years later, she sends word that the king is actually a homosexual. I use that as leverage to get in there and marry that girl off. Some years later, she died in a "mysterious accident" before she came of age to marry. The game basically always has multiple threads like this playing out all the time.